How to Prepare Your Home Before Exterior Painters Arrive

Robert Marleau | Posted on September 1, 2025 |

Hiring professional painters to refresh your home’s exterior is a smart investment, but even the best crews need a clear, accessible space to do their job right. If you’re wondering how to prepare your home before exterior painters arrive, it’s not about doing the work yourself — it’s about creating the right conditions for quality workmanship.

Painters will take care of surface prep like washing, sanding, and priming, but there are a few simple things you can do ahead of time to protect your property, avoid delays, and ensure your project stays on track.

In this post, we’ll walk you through what to do (and what not to worry about) so your painting team can focus on what they do best — delivering a flawless, lasting finish.

1. Clear the Work Area

Before painters can begin prepping or applying fresh coats, they need unobstructed access to the full surface of your home. This means removing anything that could block walkways, walls, or trim, and doing so before the crew arrives helps avoid wasted time or delays.

Start by moving any of the following items at least 3–5 feet away from your home’s exterior:

Patio furniture
Grills or firepits
Potted plants and planters
Garden tools or hoses
Toys, bikes, or lawn decorations

If you have items that are too large to relocate completely (like heavy sculptures or built-in structures), let your painting contractor know in advance. They may be able to cover them with drop cloths or plastic sheeting — but only if they’re aware of them before setup begins.

Giving your painters room to move ladders, sprayers, and scaffolding safely helps prevent accidents and allows them to work more efficiently. It’s one of the simplest — and most important — steps when thinking about how to prepare your home before exterior painters arrive.

2. Trim Landscaping Around the House

Even well-maintained landscaping can become a barrier during exterior painting. Shrubs, vines, trees, and tall grasses that touch your siding or trim can get in the way of tools, trap moisture, or even stick to fresh paint — none of which your painters can work around easily.

To help your painting crew work without interruption, take time to:

Cut back any branches or hedges that brush against the house
Remove dead plants or weeds near the base of exterior walls
Trim vines growing on siding, fences, or porch columns
Mow overgrown grass near the foundation

If your property has a lot of vegetation close to the house, aim to create a clear 2–3 foot buffer zone between plantings and the walls being painted. This small step can prevent accidents, reduce paint contamination, and save your crew hours of work trying to maneuver around obstacles.

Well-trimmed landscaping also helps your painters complete surface inspections before they begin, which is key to identifying peeling paint, moisture issues, or rot that may need repair first.

3. Secure Windows, Doors, and Pets

Exterior painting involves more than just brushes and ladders — it often includes masking, spraying, sanding, and multiple passes around the home. That means anything left open, loose, or unaccounted for can quickly become a hazard or cause delays.

To get your home ready, double-check the following:

Close and lock all windows — even ones you don’t often use. This keeps dust, paint mist, and debris out of your interior spaces.
Keep exterior doors closed during working hours to prevent overspray or dust from entering the home.
Remove or cover fragile decor near windows and doors, especially if vibration from ladders or sanding could knock items loose.

And don’t forget about pets. Curious cats and dogs can easily slip outside when doors are propped open or gates are moved. To avoid stress or potential injuries:

Keep pets indoors during work hours or arrange temporary care if they’re sensitive to noise or disruption.
Secure access to gates or outdoor enclosures so workers don’t accidentally let pets out.

Professionals will do their best to respect your home and routines, but they need clear boundaries — literally and logistically — to stay focused on the job. Taking care of this ahead of time ensures everyone stays safe and the work stays on track.

4. Turn Off Exterior Systems (If Needed)

While many painting projects can proceed without adjusting your home’s utilities or security features, certain systems may interfere with prep work or painting equipment if left on. Taking a few moments to disable or pause these can help avoid unexpected issues once the crew gets started.

Here are a few systems to review:

Sprinklers and irrigation timers: Turn them off at least 24 hours before work begins. Wet siding or trim can delay paint adhesion, and unexpected spray could damage equipment or materials.
Motion-activated lighting: Temporarily disable exterior sensors near work areas. Painters may need to cover light fixtures or disconnect bulbs, and constant activation can be distracting.
Security systems or exterior cameras: If cameras or alarms are mounted near painting surfaces, painters may need to move or mask them. Notify your painting contractor in advance, and if needed, disarm these systems during working hours.

It’s also helpful to let painters know about any hidden outlets, exterior electrical boxes, or solar elements they should avoid. Good communication prevents delays and helps the job go more smoothly from start to finish.

5. Don’t Worry About Washing or Prepping the Walls

One of the biggest misconceptions homeowners have when preparing for exterior painting is that they need to clean or prep the surfaces themselves. But that’s exactly what you’re hiring professionals to handle.

Experienced painters include all essential surface prep in the scope of their work, and their process is far more thorough (and efficient) than anything most homeowners could replicate. This usually includes:

Pressure washing or hand-cleaning the exterior
Scraping and sanding peeling or flaking paint
Caulking cracks and sealing gaps
Priming bare wood or repaired areas

Attempting to do these tasks yourself could actually slow things down or create extra work if done improperly. Instead, focus on giving your painting team the space and access they need to do their job well.

When thinking about how to prepare your home before exterior painters arrive, remember: your role isn’t to “help with the painting” — it’s to set the stage so professionals can deliver top-quality results, safely and efficiently.

Ready, Set, Paint

Getting your home ready for exterior painting doesn’t mean hauling out ladders or doing the prep yourself — it’s about making space for the professionals to do what they do best. A few small actions on your end can make a big difference in project speed, safety, and overall results.

Here’s a quick recap of how to prepare your home before exterior painters arrive:

Clear the work area so painters have full access to walls, trim, and setup zones
Trim landscaping to prevent brush and branch interference
Secure doors, windows, and pets to avoid disruptions or accidents
Disable outdoor systems like sprinklers or motion sensors if they could interfere with
Leave the surface prep to the pros — they’ll handle it properly and efficiently

The best results start before the first coat. Give professional painters a clear path — and they’ll take it from there. Call us today or schedule a free quote to get started with your home projects smoothly.